FIGS. 12 to 16 show a waterproof connector 100 of the kind described in JP 8-298157. This waterproof connector 100 has terminal fittings 103 to which electric wires W are connected, and a connector housing 102 provided with terminal housing chambers 101 for housing the terminal fittings 103.
A waterproof stopper 104 is attached to the posterior portion of each terminal fitting 103 together with the electric wire W, this waterproof stopper 104 being inserted on and attached together with the electric wire W. When the terminal fittings 103 are attached to the terminal housing chambers 101, the waterproof stoppers 104 fit tightly between the electric wire W and the interior wall faces of the terminal housing chambers 101, and waterproof the rear face portion of the terminal housing chambers 101.
Further, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, stabilizers 105 protrude from the area close to the centre of each terminal fitting 103, these stabilizers 105 also preventing the terminal fittings 103 from being inserted incorrectly. As the terminal fittings 103 are housed in the terminal housing chambers 101, the stabilizers 105 make contact with interior wall faces 106 of the terminal housing chambers 101 (also see FIG. 15).
If the terminal fittings 103 are formed by being punched from a metal plate, edge portions of the stabilizers may have sharp edges.
It is possible that terminal fittings 103 are not required in a certain number of terminal housing chambers 101, depending on the type of connector housing 102. In such a case, the attachment operation of the terminal fittings 103 may be completed with the terminal fittings 103 being inserted in the wrong sites, and with the electric wires W protruding from the connector housing 102 being covered in the usual plastic tape. When the connector housing 102 is later checked, it will be noticed that some terminal fittings 103 are in the wrong sites, and the terminal fittings 103 must be pulled out of the terminal housing chambers 101 and re-inserted in the correct sites. At this juncture, since the electric wires W are covered in plastic tape, it is difficult to pull the terminal fittings 103 out and it is sometimes necessary while pulling out the stabilizers 105 to press them against the interior wall faces 106 of the terminal housing chambers 101. If the anterior edges 105A of the stabilizers 105 are sharp, they sometimes damage the interior wall faces 106, forming grooves 107 (FIG. 16).
The formation of this type of groove 107 would reduce the waterproofing properties of the connector.
The present invention has been developed after taking the above problem into consideration, and aims to present terminal fittings which do not damage the interior wall faces of the terminal housing chambers when these terminal fittings are to be pulled out from the connector housing to which they are attached and also aims to present a waterproof connection using this type of terminal fittings.